2005 State of Mobility Report - City of Bellevue

CHAPTER 9
Transit
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A convenient and reliable transit system helps to reduce automobile dependency by providing access to,
from, and between major activity centers and local neighborhoods. The City works closely with transit
agencies to coordinate improvements to services and facilities that best accommodate transit riders.
The City does not provide or manage transit
services and yet transit is a cornerstone of our
transportation system. Transit is also an important
element of the City’s vision for meeting the
growing demand for capacity on city streets.
The City Council adopted the 2003 Bellevue
Transit Plan Update to direct the development
of transit facilities and coordinate efforts with
transit providers. The plan offers a comprehensive
review of current and future needs for transit and
recommends policy updates, service increases, and
capital facility enhancements.
In 2005, staff proceeded with implementing
elements of the plan. Policy work was advanced
to support regional coordination and planning
for new transit service and technologies serving
Bellevue.
Work with the transit providers to implement
the Bellevue Transit Plan as an attractive travel
option for local residents, employees, students,
visitors, businesses, and other users of regional
facilities.
Comprehensive Plan Policy TR-50
Service Frequency and Ridership
During 2001, the City worked with its transit
partners to generate a significant increase in service
hours, including a redeployment of 70,000 allocated
but unused service hours. Additional changes
of this magnitude are not anticipated until 2007
when King County Metro (Metro) completes the
update of its six-year plan. Chart 9-A reflects the
current and target service frequencies, for both the
peak hour and mid-day periods, between Bellevue’s
five major activity areas: Downtown, Overlake,
Crossroads, Eastgate, and Factoria.
The City evaluates changes in daily transit usage
by comparing average passenger trip volumes
within defined cycles. As Map 9-B indicates, transit
ridership for 2005 continued the upward trend
started in 2002. Between 2004 and 2005, Bellevue
average daily ridership (ons and offs) increased 23
percent, from 25,300 to 31,000. The most notable
improvement for this time-period was in the
Downtown (MMA 3) where average daily ridership
increased from 7,660 to 11,351 (48 percent growth).
Significant gains were also witnessed in Crossroads
(26 percent), Factoria (17 percent), and Eastgate (16
percent).
Build It and They Will Ride
Creating a transit service network that supports
existing and emerging travel patterns is a key
strategy for attracting and maintaining transit riders.
However, “the decision to ride” is influenced by
factors in addition to service availability, such as:
• speed and reliability of transit service;
• convenience of facilities and service access points;
and
• overall attractiveness of transit facilities.
2005 State of Mobility Report Chapter 9
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